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Printable Version European Commission and China agree procedures to monitor transition from quota system to fully liberalised trade for textile products
In 2005 all restrictions according to the WTO Agreement on Textiles and Clothing on imports of textiles into the EU from China were lifted, but the EU continued to impose quotas on ten categories of textile products according to the Shanghai Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
For the period 1st January-31st December 2008 all such restrictions have been replaced by a double-checking surveillance system whereby
(a) both China and the EU verify the quantity of goods being shipped although no actual quota limit will be applied; and
(b) China acknowledges its shared responsibility with the EU for ensuring a smooth transition to a fully liberalised textile trade.
Eight textile product categories are involved:
| Category 4 | - | T shirts |
| Category 5 | - | Pullovers |
| Category 6 | - | Trousers |
| Category 7 | - | Blouses |
| Category 20 | - | Bed linen |
| Category 26 | - | Dresses |
| Category 31 | - | Brassieres |
| Category 115 | - | Flax or Ramie yarn |
The new system requires:
(a) the mandatory provision of an Original Export License and Certificate of Origin (COO) for all such imports into the EU that are of Chinese origin (wherever they are shipped from);
(b) the issue of an import authorization against the export license of the shipper on arrival of the goods in the EU;
(c) China to monitor exports via its export license system and the EU to monitor imports via its import authorizations
For more detailed information on this legislation please click here. For further information on importing from China, you can also contact our Customer Service at 02 752 75 75 (Belgium) or 8002 35 55 (Luxembourg).